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Holi: 8th March 2012
Ideally, the joyous festival of Holi is meant to celebrate
the arrival of Spring while the colors used in Holi are to reflect of the
various hues of spring season. But unfortunately, in modern times Holi does not
stand for all things beautiful. Like various other festivals, Holi too has
become ruthlessly commercialized, boisterous and yet another source of
environmental degradation.

In earlier times when festival celebrations were not so much commercialized
Holi colors were prepared from the flowers of trees that blossomed during
spring, such as the Indian Coral Tree (parijat) and the Flame of the Forest
(Kesu), both of which have bright red flowers. These and several other blossoms
provided the raw material from which the brilliant shades of Holi colours were
made. Over the years, with the disappearance of trees in urban areas and
greater stress for higher profits these natural colours came to be replaced by
industrial dyes manufactured through chemical processe…

You must be tired of reading the same old tips for weight loss- exercise, low calorie food, yoga and so on. Moreover, whatever way you choose for losing weight, it seems to be for only short term gain. You relax your schedule a little and the weighing machine gears up its needle. If that's the situation, I can give you some tips that are actually unique.

Want
to boost your efforts to lose weight? Of course the foundation for
successful weight loss is eating well and exercising, but if you want
to power up your efforts, check out this diet cheat sheet of foods that do a
little of the work for you. Research shows that these 8 secret-weapon foods canhelp you lose weight.

Food is a very important part of any human body and all the more healthy food is one of the most important elements in keeping the body fit from all health hazards. Sprouted Moong dal(green lentils) salad is very colorful refreshing and nutritious dish. It is a dish full of nutrients and good source of proteins and calcium. Sprouted moong dal salad is an excellent salad that can be served as a light lunch or dinner and is very easy to prepare.

Sprout Moong dal salad is a simple and low fat and cholesterol free recipe made of sprouted beans, lettuce, tomato, cucumber mixed with little lemon juice to give a tangy zest to the salad. Lettuce is one of the most delicate salad plants. All lettuce is a good source of chlorophyll and vitamin K. Iceberg lettuce provides a good source of choline. Romain lettuce is the most nutrient-dense of all the lettuce varieties and is an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, folic acid, manganese and chromium.

Skin pigmentation is referred to as change in the color of skin, both
lightening and darkening, due to various external and internal factors. The
skin color is attributed to various pigments like melanin and carotene.

The cells of our skin contain a substance known as melanocytes, which produce
melanin. It is the presence of melanin that gives the skin its color. A lack of
melanin or low levels of it can cause your skin to appear pale, which is known
as hypopigmentation. However, in case there is a high amount of melanin present
in the skin, the skin gets a darker color, which is known as hyperpigmentation.
Another factor that could cause your skin to darken faster than normal is
overactive melanocytes. In case your skin begins to get dark because of
hyperpigmentation, the discoloration usually begins at the knuckles, elbows as
well as the knees and spreads to the other parts of the body from there. At
times, you may also see bronze or darkened patches on the palms of your hands
and …

Kashayas are concentrated decoctions of raw medicines and
their water soluble contents are the active ingredients. They have very
important role in treatment. These Kashayams are prepared such a way so that 25
ml medicine contains active ingredients of 60 gm of raw medicine. So the usual
dosage is 12 ml medicine to be taken twice daily after diluting with 50 ml of
boiled and cooled water.

Kashayams are magical medicinal drinks conjured with a few simple kitchen
ingredients. Think of a singular drink that takes less than 5 minutes to cook
and that can cure nausea, drive away cold, take care of that nagging lack of
appetite or those digestion problems after an unnecessary binge – that’s a
typical Kashayam for you.

Some
Reasons for Weight Gain
The reasons for sudden increase in body weight can be many. One factor to
consider is age. Others could be our diet. What we eat has a profound effect on our mind
as well as the body. It is not only important as to what we eat but
it is equally important as to how we eat. Also the metabolic rate and psychological aspects also contribute to weight gain.

As one ages the metabolic rate decreases leading to weight
gain. This type of weight gain is observed in people in their late 30s. Thyroid
imbalance and decrease in thyroid levels in particular lead to sudden weight
gain. Change in lifestyle, mindless consumption of junk food etc. lead to
weight gain.

But we also find people who do take junk food and still look
lean and mean. This is due to their higher metabolic rate.

Now what is metabolism or metabolic rate?
It is the rate at
which our body will use energy, better known as burning calories. If your body
can burn calories faster then there is no excessive we…

It is the season for grapes! Take a handful of grapes and
blend it coarsely. Add half a tsp of honey in it and apply on the face and neck
and leave it for 15 minutes. Wash off with cold water. Follow it up with a
moisturiser. Grapes provides gentle and effective cleansing, plus protects
against environmental damage for softer, younger looking skin.

Grapes are full of polyphenols, natural compounds that contain antioxidant
and anti-inflammatory properties,which not only help promote blood vessel
resilience for skin health but also help protect against disease. In addition,
research has shown that grape skin and seeds are a great source of OPCs
(Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins), which promote collagen and elastin fibers.

Grapes are not only delicious, they are packed with the goodness of vitamin C,
vitamin B6, thiamin, and antioxidants. So do eat them while the season lasts!

Indulgence in a high-fat diet can not only lead to overweight because of excessive calorie intake, but also can affect the balance of circadian rhythms – everyone's 24-hour biological clock, Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have shown.

The biological clock regulates the expression and/or activity of enzymes and hormones involved in metabolism, and disturbance of the clock can lead to such phenomena as hormone imbalance, obesity, psychological and sleep disorders and cancer.

While light is the strongest factor affecting the circadian clock, there is a cause-and-effect relation between diet and biological clock imbalance.

In an article soon to be published by the medical industry journal Endocrinology, the researchers suggest that this high-fat diet could contribute to obesity, not only through its high caloric content, but also by disrupting the phases and daily rhythm of clock genes. They contend also that high fat-induced changes in the clock and the adiponectin signal…

Stress is the disruption of our mental and physical balance through physical or psychological stimuli. Stressful stimuli can be mental, physiological, anatomical or physical reactions. There are a number of natural supplements that could help reduce stress. Some of these include kava, an herb from the South Pacific; and Passion Flower, a gentle herb that helps you relax. Some people prefer an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine. Taking half a capsule of ashwagandha is one option. For those who have trouble relaxing at night and falling asleep, the occasional use of Good-Night-Rx is quite helpful. See also the benefits of stress herbs and how they help you to balance and live healthy life.

And last but not least, a good yoga or meditation session may work better than anything else. Take some time to watch spring blooming outside your window and meditate on all that you have to be thankful for. Maybe you won’t need the stress herbs after all.
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Taking herbs for stress relief is one of the easiest, cheapest and healthiest ways to help your body and your mind in the fight against stress.

You can eat the herbs with your food, dried, fresh, in teas, stews, on pizzas, in salads, soups, curries and stir fries every day. There are also herbal supplements you can take in pill form available in the market.

Probably the nicest and most de-stressing way to get your anti-stress herbs is to grow them in a pot or in your garden. Then you also have a real connection with nature.

Here are herbs that have to be proven effective at reducing stress and anxiety:Red Clover - Trifolium Pratense
Red clover contains strong concentrations of natural plant estrogen called phytoestrogens. This is a hormone that occurs both in men and women, and recent studies have begun to suggest that additional estrogen can alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia, which are not all that different from the symptoms experienced under very high stress.

Ayurvedic anti aging alternative herbal and home remedies. Tips on getting rid of dry skin, wrinkles, crow's feet for youthful skin.
The Simple Truth Most home remedies just involve using things that we already know are healthy. Most products use combinations of healthy ingredients. The secret to most cosmetic and health related issues is simply healthy diet and exercise. Fruits and veggies won't make us 20 years younger or turn us into super models, but they are essential to being as healthy, young, and beautiful as we can be and nobody was ever hurt by a healthy diet.

Avoiding bad things is just as important as consuming good things. Smoking, drinking, and excessive coffee consumption are all things we have known age us much more rapidly, but many of us continue to use them anyway. The simple truth is that with or without home miracle remedies, we all already know how to live healthy and vibrant lives.
As per Ayurveda
Premature aging of the skin is caused due to the aggravatio…

- Ashwagandha extracts reverse symptoms in mice, Indian scientists claimG.S. MUDUR New Delhi, Jan. 31: Ashwagandha, a plant used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine, cleaned out abnormal protein deposits in the brain and reversed damage and behavioural changes observed in Alzheimer’s disease when tested on mice, a team of Indian scientists announced today.

The scientists have shown through experiments on mice that extracts of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) can reverse within 30 days the abnormal accumulation of a protein, called beta-amyloid plaque, in the brain that is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers at the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) at Manesar in Haryana fed genetically-engineered mice, which had symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer’s disease, a daily oral dose of a cocktail of chemicals called withanosides and withanolides, extracted from Ashwagandha.

The extracts appeared to boost the synthesis of a special protein in the liver that acts as a chaperone an…